AROUND THE WORLD.

Food agency checks 2nd mad cow case

OTTAWA, CANADA — Canada has found what may be a second case of mad cow disease, officials said Thursday, just a day after the United States said it planned to reopen its border to Canadian beef.

The border was closed 19 months ago when a cow in northern Alberta tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, a disease that affects the animal's central nervous system and was first diagnosed in Great Britain in 1986.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency released few details on the suspected case, except to identify the animal as a 10-year-old dairy cow. The preliminary testing results were completed on Wednesday, said the agency.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday that the border could be reopened starting March 7. A new policy will permit imports of cattle younger than 30 months and certain other animals and products from Canada.